Bio: Sh. `Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza’iri

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He was `abd al-Qadir ibn Muhyi al-Din ibn al-Mustafa ibn Muhammad, from a family of nobles, originally from al-Maghrib al-Aqsa (Marokko), then they migrated to Algeria.

English

He was born on Friday the 23rd of Rajab year 122 H. in the village of al-Qaytana (القيهطنجة) in the region near Ma`askar (معسمكر) in al-Maghrib al-Awsat in a family known for its piety. He grew up under his father’s care, memorized the Qur’an as a young boy in his father’s madrasa and learnt from him the basics of fiqh and other sciences, and then he studied under other scholars.

In 1236, he travelled to Oran (وهران to persue his studies util he gained mastery in various subjects such as Arabic litterature, hte sciences of Tawhid and Fiqh and logic. He memorized most part of Sahih al-Bukhari. He also learnt French, and was trained in horse-riding and the use of weapons, hence he became conversant with both the sword and the pen.

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Source: Dar al-Fikr booklet

Poetry

Al-Amir `Abd al-Qadir wrote a long poem in praise of his Master Sheikh Muhammad al-Fasi. It begins by narrating his meeting with him Makka, year 1279, as follows:

O Mas`ud! may fortune come, and goodness and ease,
may the armies of darkness turn back, no longer mentioned.
My nights are (nights of) obstruction, being cut off and estranged,
separated from the Masters – unnameable (is this) separation.
Days have become gloomy, and black
the nights; no stars are there to light it up, and no fullmoon.
My bed in (these nights) is filled of anxiety and emaciation,
the side gives me no pleasure in it, nor does the back.
All night I call, with a heart enthralled by love,
and passion burning for what the breast desires.
O my Master! The separation has been long, patience is broken,
O my Master! will there, after this night, be a daybreak?
Aid – o you who aid those who seek aid
– one who has lost his senses (because of love and grief),
stricken with harm, after his beloved ones (left).
I call to ask all creation: is there any announcer of news,
who can tell me about them, that the news may revive me?
Until the Sheikh’s aspiration called me from a distance
afar: O come near! I have a treasure for you!
So I tucked up the lose end of my izar, and was carried,
on wings of yearning, that will never break.
For the one who loves, Tihama is not far [],
ease does not divert him, nor does roughness (deter him) –
Until we made our camels kneel down in the Valley,
and I dismounted my saddle, and joy for it was complete.
A Valley in which the mighty House is the Qibla –
nothing except what’s beyond it can boast such greatness [].
A Valley in which lawful game is prohibited –
whoever makes it lawful, the load of his crime rests on him.
He came to me, who raises (adepts to the level of) gnostics,
and nothing was strange – every matter became clear [].
He said: “I have been, for so many hajj seasons
awaiting your meeting, o fullmoon!
You are my beloved son, since (Allah said) “Am I not your Lord?
truely, this hour is enclosed in the Tablet and the Scriptures.”
Your grandfather gave you a foot, in which for us is
your treasure – what a good a treasure!
Thus I kissed his feet and his carpet
and he said: “Good tidings to you, now fate is accomplished.”
And he cast over my brass his secret’s Elixir,
and to him was said: “This is an ore of pure gold”

Etc. The poem consists of more than hundred verses. It is preserved in the Zhahiri library in Damascus, and reproduced in [4].